Swimming pool



'Oct. 15, 1929'. I. WHEELER 3 1,731,554

swmmu PdoL v Filed July 11', 1927 4645522 2 41 42 24 2 3 36412 11* 2% V 1; 1%? 1 I" I" I a M ll Q i 21 l hi Mm I I I )1 12 Z8 WMEM Patented Dot. 15, 1929 ATENT OFFICE MILTON 1. WHEELER, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA SWIMMING rooL Application filed July 11, 1927. Serial No. 205,018.

My invention is a swimming pool especially adapted for small spaces such as theatre stage exhibitions.

An object of my invention is the construction of a swimming pool especially adapted for a small place such as a theatre stage, in which swimming contests may be had or individual exhibitions in which the swimmer or swimmers progress against a current developed in the tank. This current may be regulated so that the swimmer or swimmers will maintain a position in the tank readily visible to the spectators.

Another object of my invention is the construction of a swimming pool having a circulation system for water in which the water is pumped from one end of the tank and forced into the other end, thereby giving a continuous and evenly distributed current in the tank from one end to the other.

In constructing my invention I have a tank mounted on a suitable frame-work and preferably wit-hone or more transparent sides. In connection with the tank I have passages for water which are preferably arranged under the floor of the tank. These passages draw water from one end of the tank and discharge it into the other end, and for moving the water I preferably use propeller like structures which may be driven by electric motors mounted outside of the tank.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a horizontal section on the line 11 of Fig. 2 taken in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows.

Ona floor such as a stage floor 11 I mount a plurality of beams 12. these being shown as r transverse channels, and upon this there is an outer tank 13 constructed. This outer tank has a base 14, a plurality of corner angles 15 and a series of vertical posts 16. The tank may be constructed with metal ends 17 formed of a plate of suitable size with angle 21 preferably of metal.

There is a floor 22 spaced above the base 14, this being the actual floor of the swimming tank or pool in which the swimming takes place.

Extending upwardly from the floor 22 there are inner end walls 23 having openings 24 with louvers 25 in such openings. Longitudinally of the tank there are preferably capping beams 26 on the top of the posts 16 and connecting with the corner angles 15, and the end caps 27 extending between the end walls 23 and 17 The water circulation system is provided by a plurality of Water passages 28 which are located between the base at 14 and the floor 22. These passages are formed by longitudinal curved walls 29 which terminate substantially on the line of the inner end walls 23 and with curved lateral walls 30 which are spaced inwardly from the walls 21.

It will end32 and the passage end 33 of the water passages 28 are much larger in area than the central portion 34.

Leading downwardly from the openings 24 there is a down passage 35 preferably formed by having a metal wall 36 which joins with the walls 30 and 29 and abut-s against the end wall 17, this being shaped at the up per portion 37 to guide the How of water. There are also a plurality of swirl preventing plates 38 positioned at the discharge end and a pair of plates 39 located in the central portion 34 of the water passages 28. This pair of plates is formed with a. hearing 40 for the propeller shaft 41. this shaft having a stream line section 42 in front of the propeller 4-3 and the bearing also having a stream line section 44 in this pair of plates 39. These plates are preferably vertical.

The propeller shafts lead through water tight bearings 45 and may be operated by a chain or belt drive 46 from the electric motor 47. this motor being carried on a platform 48 extending beyond the base 14, having braces 49 and connected to one of the cross bracing beams 18.

The manner of operation and functioning of my invention is substantially as follows:

The whole pool is preferably designed so that when empty of water it may be moved bodily on the stage of a theatre and shipped from place to place, and for this purpose, if large tanks are required, they may be arran ed to be readily disassembled and assemble again with water-tight packing at the joints. When the propeller shafts are operated at a considerable speed, using propellers of the desired character, the water is given a flow through the water passages 28. hence drawing the water from one end of the tank and forcing same into the tank at the other end. On accountof the stream line form of the passages 28, the water has a free flow from the ends of the tank across the full diameter of such tank or pool and flows into the tank in the same manner across the full end. The passages 28 are shape-d so that the water has a high velocity at the propellers and materially less velocity at either end of the tank. The plates 29 and the swirl plates 38 function to prevent the water having a swirl due to the propellers, as does also the construction of the vertical passages 35 and the louvers 25. Therefore the water flowing through the tank may be regulated to have substantially any velocity agamst which a swimmer may be able to swim, and to have the water in the pool movin in a body practically at the same velocity rom side to s1de of the tank and from bottom to top.

Therefore, a swimmer, for giving exhibitions of swimming, may have a comparatively small tank to swim a relatively long distance against a current of substantially any reasonable desired velocity, and by measur' ing the velocity of the water in the tank the rate of the swimmer may' be calculated and the spectators be kept advised as to the relative rate of the swimmer. It is manifest that with my invention swimming races may be held in a small tank or pool, as well as exhibitions of fancy swimming and the like.

It will be seen by the above description that I have developed a portable tank or pool which has a circulation of water to simulate either swimming in a running stream or to represent a person swimming in still water, and it is manifest that the manner of giving the flow of the water from one end of the tank to the other may be materially changed to suit different circumstances.

From the above description it will be seen that I have developed a principle of circulating water giving a current through a tank or the equivalent, and this may be utilized in many ways. For instance, miniature ships may be constructed and either sailed or properly guided on the water, representing the action of large vessels for the purpose of taking moving pictures. By proper manipulation of the vessels naval battles and the like may be represented. Rough sea scenes may be depicted. The principle involved may,

be also utilized in connection with the designing of vessels such as naval designs, in which models may be tested in moving water without the necessity of bodily moving the model through still water, as is the present practice. Hence with the model maintained stationary and the water circulating, much bettcr observations can be made of the various features entering into marine and naval designs.

Various changes may be made in the principles of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof, as set forth in the description, drawings and claims.

I claim: 7

1. A swimming pool comprising in combination a tank holding water, means to draw water from one end of the tank and force said water in the other end thereby creating a circulation of water, means to prevent a swirling of the Water, and means to deflect the water at its entry into the tank togive an even distribution of flow of water through the tank at substantially the same velocity considered completely transversely of the tank.

2. A swimming pool comprising in combination a water tank having a floor, at least one transparent side rising from the floor, a passage underneath the floor connected to opposite ends of the tank, means in said passage to propel the water therethrough, means to prevent a swirling of the water, and means to deflect the water in an even stream at the end of said passage at the opposite ends of the tank forming a stream in the tank of constant velocity considered .completely transversely of the tank. I

3. A swimming pool com rising in combination a tank having a oor, a passage underneath the floor for Water, said passage being connected to opposite ends of the tank, the passage being wide at its opposite ends adjacent and below the ends of the tank and contracted in the center, and a propeller mounted at the contracted part of the passage to force water th'erethrough, thereby creating a flow of water from one end of the tank to the other.

4. A swimming pool comprising in combination a tank having a floor, a plurality of passages underneath the floor connected to opposite ends of the tank above the floor, said passages below the floor having a greater cross sectional area adjacent the ends of the tank than in the center part, said center part being contracted, and a propeller mounted in each of the passages at the contracted part.

5. A swimming pool comprising in combination a tank having a floor and opposite end walls, a passage underneath the floor of contracted diameter in the center and a relatively large diameter at the ends, the ends of the tank having openings, a down passage from said openings to the passage under the floor, and a propeller mounted in the center part of the passage under the floor with means to operate same to create a current of Water in the tank.

6. A swimming pool, as claimed in claim 5, the openings in the ends of the tank at the down passage having louvers to deflect the water into horizontal paths, and swirl preventers in the passage under the floor.

7 A swimming pool comprising in combination a plurality of beams adapted for mounting of the floor, an outer tank base resting on said beams, a said outer tank having at least one transparent side wall, an inner tank having a floor positioned above the said base and having end walls set inwardly from the ends of the base, said end walls having openings, a plurality of passages between the floor and the base,.said passages being contracted at the center and of considerably larger area at each end, down passages connecting the openings in the end walls and the passages under the floor, a propeller in each passage at the contracted part, a propeller shaft from each propeller extending out of the tank, and means exterior of the tank to drive said propellers, thereby circulating the water through the said passages and creating a current in the tank from one end to the other.

8. A main tank having an inner tank with the ends of the inner tank spaced from the ends of the main tank inwardly and the floor of the inner tank spaced above the bottom of the main tank, passages for flow of water in the end walls of the inner tank, there being passages extending downwardly to the space between the floor of the inner and main tanks, and propelling means mounted in the space below the floor of the inner tank to propel water to cause a circulation of the water through the inner tank from one end to the other.

9. A main tank as claimed in claim 8, the propelling means comprising rotary propellers mounted on shafts, the said shafts extending outwardly through the main tank and being operated by a driving mechanism outside of said main tank.

10. A swimming pool comprisin in combination an outer and an inner tan the inner tank being spaced from the ends of the outer tank and the floor of the inner tank being spaced above the floor of the outer tank, there being openings for flow of water at the ends of the inner tank with passages for water between the ends of the inner and outer tanks and between the floors of said tanks,

said passages between the floors of the tanks being contracted, and propellers mounted in said contracted portions with means to drive said propellers, said propellers causing a flow of water through the inner tank from one end to the other.

11. A swimming pool as claimed in claim 10, the said propellers being mounted on driving shafts said shafts extendingl longitudinally of the passages between t e floors of the tanks and extending outwardly through one end of the outer tank, with the means to drive. said shafts positioned outside of the outer tank.

12. A swimming 001 comprising in combination an outer and an inner tank, the ends of the inner tank being spaced from the ends of the outer tank and the floor of the inner tank being spaced above the floor of the outer tank, there being openings in the ends of the inner tank leading into the spaces between the inner and outer tanks at the end, louvers positioned at said openings, there being a passage for water between the floors of said tanks, and a propelling means mounted in said passage to cause a current of water through the inner tank from one end to the other.

13. A swimming pool as claimed in claim 12, the said passage under the floor being contracted and having the propellers mounted in the contracted portion, and'plates positioned in the said passage between the floors to prevent swirling of the water.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

MILTON I. WHEELER. 

